What they did do for us..
1 Caligula was so touchy about his baldness he made it a capital offence for anyone to look down on him from above, but was hairy elsewhere. He also banned goats being mentioned in his presence... and wanted his horse elected consul.
2 Antoninus Pius ruled the empire for 23 years in the 2nd Century before dying from an overdose of Gruyère cheese.
3 The first emperor to sport a full beard was Hadrian, right, known for building his wall. It’s thought he may have been trying to cover up acne scars.
4 Obsessed with chickens, Emperor Honorius named his favourite one Rome. When told Rome had “perished” in an attack he was more worried that his pet had died. Honorius once banned trousers too.
5 Vitellius, below right, once ate a whole peacock and feasted on flamingo tongues. Hugely obese and lame in one leg after being struck by a chariot, he died when thrown in the River Tiber in 69AD.
6
As Vespasian lay dying from diarrhoea he quipped: “Dear me, I think I am becoming a God.”
7 Fourth Century emperor Constantine the Great was the first to convert to Christianity. It didn’t stop him poisoning his eldest son and killing wife
Fausta in a boiling bath, which we didn’t see mentioned in the Bible.
8 Valerian died after being fed molten gold, Valentinian when a blood vessel burst in his head in a rage and Jovian from poisonous fumes from a newly painted bedroom.
9 Cross-dressing Elagabalus roamed Rome’s red-light districts disguised as a prostitute and investigated whether he could have a sex change.
10 Man-mountain Maximinus Thrax once knocked out a horse’s teeth with one punch.
11 Taking the pee… Emperor Nero was the first Roman emperor to put a tax on the disposal of urine in the 1st Century.
12 The first black Roman emperor was Septimius Severus, a military leader from Leptis Magna, modern-day Libya.
13 Domitian lined his walls with mirrored surfaces so he could see his enemies coming.
14 Didius Julianus was unpopular because he bought his position rather than winning through conquest or succession.
15 Nero had ambitions of becoming an opera singer and once did a performance which droned on for so long pregnant women watching started giving birth.
16 The daughter of Augustus was banished for having multiple extramarital affairs.
17 In a power struggle, Caracalla murdered his brother Geta.
18 Aged 80 Gordian I was the elderly emperor, who jointly ruled with son Gordian II for only 20 days.
19 The first emperor to be killed in battle was Decius.
20 The shortest reigning emperor was Quintillus who lasted just 17 days.
●Meet The Roman Emperor with Mary Beard is on BBC Two at 9pm tonight.